http://mmajunkie.comFew prospects have entered the Ultimate Fighting Championship and found the kind of immediate stardom that Jon Jones has.

But the self-proclaimed “MMA geek,” who next fights Brandon Vera this weekend in the headliner of UFC on Versus 1, knows combat-sports fans can be a fickle bunch.

So while he appreciates the support and accolades, the 22-year-old Jones knows winning fights and improving his game are the only ways to assure his future prospects remain bright.

After dominating the Northeast fight circuit, Jones burst onto the UFC scene in 2008. His high-energy, crowd-pleasing style instantly made him a favorite. And with consecutive wins over Andre Gusmao, Stephan Bonnar and Jake O’Brien, he proved to have the substance to match his flash.

So even after a controversial December disqualification loss to Matt Hamill – Jones connected on illegal downward elbow strikes, and his opponent, though already battered, was unable to continue – Jones didn’t lose much of his momentum. But he knows hype can be a tricky business, especially as he readies to headline a UFC card for the first time.

“And then you know when he couldn’t finish [Thales Leites]. The fans just switched on him – switched up on him right away, saying that he’s washed up, saying that he didn’t have it anymore.”

Jones knows the same fate can await any fighter, himself included, after a single lackluster performance.

“I can be God’s gift to the world or the second coming of Jesus Christ, and then the next day, I can be nothing,” he said.

That’s why Jones, who’s recently been training with Greg Jackson’s famed camp in New Mexico, has focused on his own improvement more than his adoring public.

“I try to keep my head on straight and realize what I’m here for,” he said. “I just try to improve every day and not really worry about people having high expectations for me.”

Jones’ opponent, Vera, is all too familiar with fickle fans. Once one of the UFC’s top prospects (and at a time the No. 1 heavyweight contender), his reputation took a hit after a 1-3 stint, losses to Tim Sylvia and Fabricio Werdum, and a brutally lackluster split-decision defeat to Keith Jardine in late 2008.

Like Jones, Vera was considered a hard-hitting, versatile striker with an exciting style. But after that loss to Jardine, fans left the bandwagon in droves.

Vera admittedly took longer to realize the nature of stardom, so he’s pleased Jones caught on quickly.

“I remember being in that position and all the stuff that Jones is talking about,” Vera said. “He’s actually a lot further along in his mental game than I was when I was in his position, but I remember when I was still young into the game.”

The Jones vs. Vera fight headlines the March 21 event, which airs live on Versus from the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo.